Apparatus for use in straightening metal barrels or the like



June 27, 1944. B. D. TITUS EI AL 2,352,575

APPARATUS FOR USE IN STRAIGHTENING METAL BARRELS OR THE LIKE I A Filed April 18, 1942 A 2 Sheets-Sheet" 1 June 27, 1944. B. D. TITUS ETAL I 2,352,575

APPARATUS FOR USE IN STRAIGHT-ENING METAL BARRELS OR THE LIKE Filed April 18, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3% WQ W Patented June 27, 1944 APPARATUS FOR USE IN STRAIGHTENING METAL BARRELS on THE LIKE Birney D. Titus and Clarence C. Blaine, El Dorado, Kans., assignors to Skelly Oil Company, Tuls Okla, a. corporation of Delaware 1 Application April 18, 1942,'Serial No. 439,588 9 Claims. (Cl. 226-115) This invention relates to an apparatus for use in straightening walls of distorted metal barrels or the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus adapted to fill a barrel or the like with liquid under pressure, and then rigidly hold the filled receptacle in a fixed position.

With the foregoing object outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 7

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of our apparatus, partly broken away to facilitate illustration.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with certain parts removed and illustrating the manner of discharging a barrel after straightening. I

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a detail of the apparatus and the upper end portion oi'a barrel.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a platform employed in placing barrels 6 made of metal or other malleable material in the machine. The latter comprises a foundation 1 supporting an abutment la and rigid posts 8 which are spaced apart and rigidly support a cylinder 9.

A piston I is arranged to move upwardly and downwardly in the cylinder and carries a depending hollow piston rod I I, extending therethrough and provided at its lower end with a disk or head l2 having a downwardly extending rim i3 (Fig. 4) designed to make a seal with the chime I4 of the barrel. The passageway through the piston rod is normally closed at the lower end 'by a check valve l adapted to open upwardly. A conduit or passageway I6 connects the piston rod and head,

.and has a nozzle I? adapted to register with the bung hole I8 in the head of the barrel, while the barrel rests on the abutment la. A loaded valve I9 is interposed in the conduit and adapted to open toward the nozzle when sufficient pressure is exerted within the hollow piston rod.

Water or any other suitable liquid is supplied to the apapratus, under pressure, through a pipe connected to one branch of a multi-way hand operated valve 2 I. One of the lateral branches of the valve is connected to the top of the cylinder 9 by a pipe 22, and the opposite lateralbranch is connected to the bottom of the cylinder by a pipe 23. A waste pipe 24 is connected to the bottom branch of the valvei Assuming the piston l0 and head I2 arein uppermost position and a barrel is properly placed on the abutment la, to be clamped by the head; if the control member of valve 21 is moved to place the pipe 20 in communication with the pipe 22, liquidunder pressure will flow into the top of the cylinder and force the piston and disk I3 downwardly until the latter is halted by the barrel. As the piston moves downwardly, water below the piston is forced out through 23, 2| and 24. As the liquid continues its flow into the top ofthe cylinder, sufiicient pressure will be built up to open the valve Hi to allow the liquid to flow through the conduit l6 and hole l8 into the barrel, and such flow will continue until the barrel is filled or substantially filled. Meantime, the "air within the barrel will be displaced into the cavity 25 of the head and will be put under'pressure. The barrel is now ready to be straightened. This is accomplished by the operator who delivers a series of sharp blows with a hammer at the dented area of the barrel. With each blow of the hammer, the liquid inside the barrel returns the blow with equal force on the reverse side of the metal, thus forcing the dent or dents out and restoring the barrel to its original shape. The operator'now manipulates the valve 21 to close oiT the supply of liquid to the top of the cylinder 9, and to place the pipe 22 in communication-with the pipe 24 which permits the compressed air on top of the barrel headto expand, opening check valve. 15, thus releasing all pressure both in the barrel and in the cylinder, through the medium of the hollow piston rod. I p

At this point it may be noted that the air; originally in the barrel at atmospheric pressure when the barrel was placed in the machine, cannot escape except to the chamber 25, and such air will therefore be compressed as the water rises in the barrel until it finally attains: a pressure equal to the hydraulic pressure exerted by the machine.

After the pressure has been released, the operator moves the control valve 2|. to a position to place the pipe 20 in communication wit-hthe pipe 22, so that water is admitted .to the cylinder'below the piston toforce it upwardly, discharging as'it movesupward, the water on top of :the piston through the pipes 22 and 24. i

As the piston rises, lugs 26 which are rigidly connected to diametrically opposite sides of the head I2, will also rise from the lower ends :of slots 21a in arms 28 and engage shoulders 21 forming parts of the slots. As the lower end'of each of these arms is hingedly-connectedat 28a to one ers 33 mounted on stationary horizontal axes on the post 8. This will cause the arms to be swung in a clock-wise direction (Fig. 1) to release the shoulders 21 from the lugs 26, so that the conveyor will return to its normal horizontal position. Of course, when the barrel hasrtravelled part way down the conveyor due to gravity, it can move the remainder of the way due to momentum, although the conveyor has returned to horizontal position. Momentum will also cause the barrel to come to rest on a dump rack 34 (Fig. 1), swung about a horizontal axis 35 by means of a hydraulic ram 36 which functions to force the barrel on to a draining rack 31 where the water discharges before the barrel is removed along tracks 38.

When the head [2 is again lowered to engage the top of another barrel, the lugs 26 will travel downwardly in the slots Z'la from the upper to the lower ends of the latter.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the apparatus may be readily understood, and we are aware that changes may be made without departinf from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What we claim and desire to secure byLctters Patent is:

1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising means for securing a receptacle in a stationary position, means including a passageway for filling the receptacle with liquid under pressure while displacing air from the receptacle, a head connected to the passageway and adapted to engage the receptacle, a chamber in the head to receive the air displaced from the. receptacle and to'hold it under pressure, and a check valve interposed between the chamber and passageway to automatically release the air from said chamber into the passageway when the pressure on the liquid introduced into the receptacle isreleased.

2. A barrel straightening apparatus comprising a support on which a barrel is adapted to be placed, a head movable toward and away from said support, a piston operatively connected to a pressure operated valve interposed in the last mentioned means and adapted to open when the head engages the receptacle to cause the liquid to enter the receptacle.

. 3. A barrel straightening apparatus comprising a support on which a barrel is adapted to be placed, a head movable toward and away from said support, a piston operatively connected to the head, a cylinder in which the piston reciprocates, first means for introducing liquid under pressure into said cylinder for moving the head toward said support, second means for conveying liquid so introduced into the cylinder towardthe receptacle-,a pressure operated valve interposed in the last mentioned. means and adapted to open when the head engages the receptacle to cause the liquid to enter the receptacle, a chamber in the head to receive air displaced from the receptacle, and a check valve interposed between the chamber and the second means to permit the discharge of air from said chamber into the second means when the pressure in the second means is below that in said chamber.

. 4. A barrel straightening apparatus comprising a support adapted to hold a barrel having an opening in the top thereof in upright position, a cylinder arranged above said support, an upwardly and downwardly movable piston in the cylinder, a hollow piston rod depending from the piston and having its interior communicating with the cylinder above the piston, a head carried by the piston rod and adapted to form a seal with the top of the barrel, a conduit connecting the head with the piston rod and adapted to convey liquid from the rod through said opening into the barrel, means for introducing liquid under pressure into the top of the cylinder from whence it can flow through the piston rod and conduit, and a normally closed valve in said conduit adapted to open upon a predetermined pressur of the liquid in said piston rod. I

5. A barrel straightening apparatus comprising a support adapted to hold a barrel having an opening in the top thereof in upright position, a cylinder arranged above said support, an upwardly and downwardly movable piston in the cylinder, a hollow piston rod depending from the piston and having its interior communicating with the cylinder above the piston, a head carried by the piston rod and adapted to form a seal with the top of the barrel, a conduit connecting the head with the piston rod and adapted to convey liquid from the rod through said opening into the barrel, means for introducing liquid under pressure into the top of the cylinder from whence it can flow through the piston rod and conduit, a normally closed valve in said conduit adapted to open upon a predetermined pressure of the liquid in said piston rod, a chamber in the head adapted to receive air displaced from the barrel, and a normally closed check valve controlling communication between said chamber and the interior of the rod and adapted to open when pressure in the chamber exceeds the pres sure in the piston rod.

6. A barrel straightening apparatus comprising a support adapted to hold a barrel havingan opening in the top thereof in upright position, a cylinder arranged above said support, an upwardly and downwardly movable piston in the cylinder, a hollow piston rod depending from the piston and having its interior communicating with the cylinder above the piston, a head carried by the piston rod and adapted to form a seal with the top of the barrel, a conduit connecting the head with the piston rod and adapted to convey liquid from the rod'through said opening into the barrel, means for introducing liquid under pressure into the top of the cylinder from whence it can flow through the piston rod and conduit, a ncrmally' closed valve in said conduit adapted to open upon a predetermined pressure ofthe liquid in said piston rod, and means for introducing liquid under pressure into the bottom of the cylinder for raising the piston and head. 7. In a machine of the character described, means adapted to support a barrel in upright position,a cylinder arranged above the supporting means, a piston movable upwardly and downwardly in the cylinder, a hollow piston rod carried by the piston and having its interior com municating with the cylinder above the piston, a head carried by the piston rod and adapted to make a seal with the top of a barrel arranged on the supporting means, a chamber in the head, a conduit connecting the chamber and piston rod and adapted to lead liquid under pressure from the piston rod to the chamber and into the barrel through a bung hole thereof, a pressure operated valve interposed in the conduit and adapted to open under a predetermined pressure exerted in the hollow piston rod, a first, :pipe for leading liquid under pressure into the top of the cylinder, a second pipe for conveying liquid under pressure into the bottom of the cylinder, a water inlet pipe, a waste pipe, and a common valve for controlling said pipes.

8. In a machine of the character described, means adapted to support a barrel in upright position, a cylinder arranged above the supporting means, a piston movable upwardly and downrel through a bung hole thereof, a pressure operated valve interposed in the conduit and adapted to open under a predetermined pressure exerted in the hollow piston rod, a first pipe for leading liquid under pressure into the top of the cylinder, a second pipe for conveying liquid under pressure into the bottom of the cylinder, a water inlet pipe, a waste pipe, a common valve for controlling said pipes, said chamber being adapted to receive air displaced from the barrel, a port placing said chamber in communication with the interior of the hollow piston rod, and a check valve controlling said port adapted to open When the pressure in the chamber exceeds that Within the hollow piston rod.

9. An apparatus of the character described comprising a means for supporting a receptacle having an opening through which the receptacle may be filled, a head adapted to effect a sealing engagement with the portion of the receptacle in which the opening ispositioned, means including a passageway through the head for filling the receptacle with liquid under pressure while displacing air'from the receptacle, and second means including a check valve held in closed position by pressure in the filling means during the filling operation for trap-ping the air displaced'from the receptacle, said check valve being adapted to automatically open under the pressure of the trapped air when pressure is re-' leased in the filling means, whereby the trapped air is released.

BIRNEY D. TITUS. CLARENCE C. BLAINE. 

